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Jurgen Klopp has laughed off claims that ­Liverpool are in a blip that will leave their season in tatters.

The Reds have lost their last two games – at Manchester City in the Premier League and at Wolves in the FA Cup – after going 20 league games ­unbeaten. From threatening to open up a 10-point gap on City at the top, they are now just four points clear.

But Kop boss Klopp denied the two successive defeats are signs of a momentum shift and pointed out that, but for goal-line technology, Liverpool would have taken an early lead at the Etihad on January 3 and perhaps gone on to collect the three points that would have made their lead virtually unassailable.

“We talk about the Man City game and what was the ­difference between a goal and no goal – 11mm? Whatever, not a lot,” Klopp said.

Klopp is unworried by Liverpool's blip (Image: John Powell)

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“Had that gone in we may have got a brilliant result. So then we go to Wolves. I make the changes. It’s not the boys who make the changes, I make the changes, so that says more about me than the team. It’s still very positive.”

And Klopp said that had ­Liverpool gone to City with only a one-point lead and won, fans would have been exultant yet the lead would be exactly the same as it is now.

“Let’s say we had one point more than City and went there and won,” Klopp said. “We’d be four clear, as we are now. That’s why I say it is all good.”

Saturday's trip to Brighton represents a tough test for the Reds, especially given a ­defensive crisis which sees them travelling to the south coast with just one fit centre-half in Virgil van Dijk.

The German is confident Liverpool will return to winning ways (Image: Getty Images)

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But Klopp did hint that Joel Matip, who trained this week, could at least be on the bench.

Klopp will not countenance fears from Liverpool fans and has urged them not to panic, especially as last season the Reds won 5-1 at Brighton ­before spanking them 4-0 at Anfield in May.

“If some have lost ­belief it is up to us to prove we still have it. We have proved it ­before and now we must prove it again,” he said.

“It is a normal Premier League game, away. They are all difficult. So let’s try our best. There is no reason to go there feeling less confident.”

If Klopp decides not to risk Matip, Fabinho will play at centre-half. The German revealed that sidelined trio Joe Gomez, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren will all be back to fitness within the next 10 days and skipper Jordan Henderson trained this week.